Noticing isn't what makes it so: THE SANDY PAGE BOOKSHOP.

The Sandy Page Bookshop by Hannah McKinnon
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

I can count on Hannah McKinnon to pull me into an engaging story.

Here she takes a fairly routine plot – a woman loses her job and simultaneously sees her engagement end and therefore escapes to the beach – and brings a fun and heartfelt twist.

Reeling from the changes in her life, Leah leaves Boston for some time at her father’s beach cottage. Instead of wallowing (more power to her!), she starts a bookstore inside a vacant historical building. (Seriously, this is one determined woman.) The bookstore brings together a wide range of people. We have the anxious widow and former school counselor, Eudora; teenage Lucy, who is dealing with her sister’s recovery from a car accident; Brad, who is hiding is true self from his grandmother; and Luke, the handsome contractor (and childhood acquaintance of Leah) helping fix up the place.  

What follows is a sweet and touching story as these folks join together to bring the store to life, while also changing each other’s lives. Yes, there’s a romance between Luke and Leah, but it’s more of a slow burn awakening with these two than a full-on romance plot. There are lots of POV, with McKinnon doing a great job of capturing everyone from the older Eudora to teenage Lucy. She also gracefully portrays Eudora’s anxiety and panic attacks and Brad’s attempts to date another man while hiding it from his grandmother.  

Overall, this is a very cute story that leaves you wanting to be both at the beach and a bookstore—what sounds better than that, really?! (3.5 stars) 

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Emily Bestler Books in return for an unbiased review.  

View all my reviews

Cheating time cheating death: YOU BELONG HERE.

You Belong Here by Megan Miranda
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am always willing to read anything by Megan Miranda, even if some books are more of a hit than others.  YOU BELONG HERE is a solid 3.5 star read.

I found its overly theatrical writing style a bit much at times, but it’s a great twisty thriller with some excellent turns that took me by surprise. Plus, I’m always a sucker for a Virginia setting, even if it’s fictious (I hope!). Beckett attended local Wyatt College, thanks to the fact that her parents were both professors there. But senior year, tragedy strikes, leaving two local men dead, and Beckett is shipped off to finish her college years overseas. She returns pregnant with her daughter Delilah and rarely speaks of the incident again.

So, imagine her surprise when Delilah secretly applies to Wyatt and receives a scholarship! When she gets a strange phone call for Delilah and can’t reach her, Beckett worries that the past is coming back to haunt her.  This is such a tense book, brimming with parental fear and small-town anger and secrets! The dark, academic setting shines; you can practically hear the wind (“the howling”) whipping through the mountains behind Wyatt College. Miranda deftly ties together Delilah’s story with her mother’s past, slowly revealing what happened with Beckett via flashbacks that intertwine with the present-day story. It’s a very effective mechanism, as I found this story very difficult to put down. At the same time, beyond its eerie vibes, this is a story of motherhood—and how far a mother would go to protect her daughter. It’s a little wild sometimes, but a good page-turner.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Simon Element in return for an unbiased review.

View all my reviews

See everything you think you need to see then come back to me: BED and BREAKUP.

Bed and Breakup by Susie Dumond
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a cute second chance romance with cozy small-town vibes.

Molly and Robin split years ago, leaving behind Eureka Springs, Arkansas and the Hummingbird Inn, the beautiful, historic inn they lovingly restored together. Somehow, they both managed to *not* get formally divorced (amazing!) or to sell the inn, which has been sitting vacant since COVID. They each independently return to Eureka Springs: Molly to work on a series of art projects (stained glass – this story is wonderful about promoting artists) and Robin to regroup after several failed business projects (restaurants she started). Neither expects the other to be at the Inn, but surprise!

At first, they launch a series of preemptive pranks and annoying tactics to force the other out, but eventually, like all good lesbian exes, they find themselves sharing both a bed and cozy moments at the local bar. Being back together stirs up all sorts of feelings, of course. Robin convinces Molly to help her fix up the Inn (apparently some management community ruined it while they left town – the logistics of the Inn and its existence while its owners left is all very confusing) so they can sell it. Well, we can all see where this is going…

I wish there was more spark between Molly and Robin. There are a few steamy moments, but it would have been nice to see how two women who hated each other (Robin left Molly and Eureka Springs for another woman!) could reunite so easily, lesbian nature withstanding. I found it hard to warm up to Robin, especially since she seemed reluctant to take responsibility for much of anything. On the plus side, the diverse representation in this book is outstanding, with a full cast of queer or queer adjacent characters. Basically, Eureka Springs is the queer town of Arkansas and Robin and Molly’s quirky friends truly make the book.

If you love charming small-town second chance romances, you’ll like Molly and Robin’s story.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Dial Press in return for an unbiased review.

View all my reviews

Well life is hard and so is love: SUNNY SIDE UP.

Sunny Side Up by Katie Sturino
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

For the most part, this is a cheerful book, despite the fact that we open on our protagonist, Sunny, divorced and slightly depressed, dreading going to her brother's wedding alone, and standing in the most dreaded of places, the dressing room, trying on swimsuits. Considered "plus size," Sunny can't find any suits that fit, so she designs one that fits her.

Already a successful businesswoman running her own PR firm, Sunny decides to build on that momentum, taking her one suit and spinning it into her own plus-size clothing line. While doing so, she meets a handsome businessman, Ted, who helps fund her line, and two hit it off. She also runs across Dennis, her mailman, whom she finds charming, funny, and easy-to-talk-to.

Sunny is a very lovable person (both Ted and Dennis think so) and clearly very ambitious and motivated. There's plenty of business talk in the book, but her work ethic is admirable. The story feels long at times, and while she ultimately admits, it feels like she takes an awfully long time to choose between Ted and Dennis, stringing them both along for ages (and us too!). Luckily Sturino gives her an engaging voice and charming way of telling her story.

The story alternates between Sunny's life and snippets from her successful newsletter, which goes viral, offering fashion tips and insight on divorce and dating again. There's also an excellent and strong focus on body positivity. If you like strong heroines working to change their lives for the better (with some romance drama thrown in), you'll enjoy this one. 3.5 stars.

View all my reviews

Used to dream of getting out: THESE HEATHENS.

These Heathens by Mia McKenzie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was excellent; it made me think, which (let's be honest) I need sometimes.

It's 1960 in Georgia. Doris has had to grow up quickly and leave school to care for her younger brothers after her mother became ill. But now she's 17 and she needs an abortion. As a young, poor Black girl in Georgia, her options are limited. She turns to her only advocate, her former teacher, Mrs. Lucas, who in turn, asks her own friend, Sylvia, a wealthy woman in Atlanta.

What follows is one weekend in Doris' life as she and Mrs. Lucas travel to Atlanta. There the entire world opens up before Doris, as she gets to see the life of the wealthy Black Sylvia and her family. She meets racial advocates (Coretta Scott King stops by!) and boys her own age who are participating in the sit-ins gaining momentum across the country.

It's amazing how much this book packs in over a weekend. It explores so many deep topics through Doris' eyes, including sexual orientation, race, and the power of god versus family. And, of course, abortion. This is a novel that will make you think and reflect on how our past has shaped the present.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Random House in return for an unbiased review.

View all my reviews

As defiant as well as defender: PERSEPHONE'S CURSE.

Persephone's Curse by Katrina Leno
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This story was not at all what I expected, but it was excellent!

Not that I'm surprised, because anything Katrina Leno writes is amazing.

The four Farthing sisters--Winnie, Bernie, Evelyn, and Clara--have always been told they are descended from Persephone. And who knows, it could be true, because there's a ghost that lives in their house, a young man named Henry, that only they can see.

It all works out until Evelyn and Henry fall in love and Winnie attempts to solve the problem. It seems each sister has a bit of magical powers, and Winnie sets off a series of catastrophic events involving closed portals and the Underworld.

It might sound over the top, but it all works really well. So much of this beautiful, magical ghost story is simply four sisters attempting to navigate growing up in the world. Bernadette, the eldest, is trying to figure out if she belongs at college. Evelyn is grappling with her love for Henry. Winnie, our main narrator, has big feelings and an ability to see the ghosts of Farthings past (and perhaps a crush on the cute girl at the magic store), and feisty Clara is the artistic wise youngest sister who despite her wisdom, still requires the love and guidance of her older sisters.

This well-written, lyrical story is an ode to New York City and sisterhood. It's utterly fascinating, with equal dashes of magic and Little Women mixed together, along with some lesbians! What more could we ask for, really? I loved it.


View all my reviews

I may be standing here but I’m a million miles away: THE RIPPLE EFFECT.

The Ripple Effect by Maggie North
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

This felt like the longest book ever. It takes a lot of talent to turn a romance into a never-ending tale.

I didn't realize this book was part of one of those "stand-alone romance series." Usually it's easy to pick up anywhere with those type of stories. With RIPPLE, I felt dropped into the middle of a tale with zero context. I have no idea if reading Liz's story (the first book) would have helped this, but it drove me insane, as it felt as if there were constant gaps in the narrative.

Nothing about this book felt grounded in reality, from the plot to the romance. Former ER doctor Stellar truly can't find a job in medicine? She really won't move away from the area solely because of her ties to her best friend (Liz)--whom we barely even encounter in this book? Again, perhaps knowing more about their relationship from the first book would have helped, because living a broke, depressed existence as a delivery driver when you could move on and return to being a PHYSICIAN seemed insane.

Stellar had a one night stand a year ago with psychologist Lyle, whom everyone rudely calls McHuge due to his size. Seriously? Now she's forced (she feels) to work as a camp physician (really more of a hard laborer) at The Love Boat, Lyle's start-up therapy camp that revolves around white water rafting. (Yes, you read that right.)

BUT THEN, The Love Boat is attacked in the press and is in jeopardy before it even opens. The ONLY way to save it, everyone, the ONLY WAY, is for Lyle and Stellar to pretend to be engaged and deeply in love. The fake romance plot seemed extra unhinged for two people who hated each other. Lyle and Stellar do not have the best chemistry and Stellar is difficult to like. There's a side plot involving Stellar's estranged sister that doesn't seem necessary but probably would have been the more interesting story.

Overall, the pieces never really seem to fit here, between the fake romance, trying to save The Love Boat, and Stellar and Lyle's own personal struggles. 2.5 stars.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin in return for an unbiased review.

View all my reviews